NEW ROCHELLE/NORTHWEST AIRLINES/MINNEAPOLIS — They arrived at practice shortly before 9 yesterday morning fully prepared to extend this magical season to reaches even the most optimistic minded might not venture to hope for.
Iona’s eight players, including a walk-on, whipped their way through practice, getting sharper as it went, with their minds on a singular task: Beating No. 3 seed Maryland in tomorrow’s NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first round game.
Dare to dream is a poignant saying that the late Jim Valvano brought to Iona and the basketball world when he coached the Gaels from 1975-80.
That’s what this group of Gaels, 6-9 and floundering at one point earlier this season, is doing. They’re daring to dream … with an asterisk.
*Five of the eight current Iona players played on the 1998 team that was beaten 63-61 by on a Syracuse prayer 3-pointer in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Though the bitter taste still lingers, these players know they can play with the big boys. In fact, they view themselves as big boys few people have heard of … yet.
“We win a couple games and people will know who and where Iona is,” Iona senior guard Jason Young was saying yesterday.
The Iona coach is former NBA star Jeff Ruland, as much a cartoon character as he is a fiercely loyal man who played under Valvano at Iona and came back to give back.
He’s a loosey-goosey, joke-cracking liberal leader who, despite the aforementioned characteristics, commands respect at all times. He’ll do anything for his kids.
“I wake up every morning and I really enjoy my job,” Ruland said. “Go into that locker room and ask any of the players and they’ll tell you I care about them.”
Practice, 9:15 a.m. inside the Iona’s Mulcahy Center
“Come on, Tariq,” Ruland barked during a lackadaisical moment in a 5-on-5 drill. “You don’t want this to be the last practice in our gym this year, do you?”
Tariq Kirksay, Iona’s best player who averages 19 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, picked up his pace and, more importantly, that of his teammates.
Kirksay is a 6-6 senior forward out of Rice in Manhattan and he’s confident without being cocky. He truly believes that Iona, as the 14th seed, can overcome Maryland tomorrow night and get through the second round, which would mean more practices at the Mulcahy Center before heading to the NCAA Midwest Regionals in Detroit.
“I feel much more relaxed this time in the NCAAs,” Kirksay said. “It’s like we’re going to the MAAC Tournament. I feel like we belong here. I sort of feel like we’re the favorites.”
At 10:15 a.m., Ruland has the team perform a breathless fastbreak drill called “two-and-a-half cycles,” which runs through all the options in the transition offense. It’s the most spirited drill of the morning and four times Kirksay hits 3-pointers from the top of the key at the buzzer.
The final drill is one-and-one free throw shooting, with every missed front end shot resulting in a “suicide gasser” for the entire team. One die, all die. Four shots are missed and so the entire team does four “suicides,” running drills where they touch each line on the court and return to the baseline.
At 10:30 practice is over and the players are instructed to lift weights, shower and be on the bus by 11:30 a.m.
“There’s something special about this team,” Ruland said during a quiet moment after practice in the empty gym. “They’re focused. The bottom line is they believe, and when you believe you’re dangerous.”
By shortly after noon, the team arrives at La Guardia Airport, where they board Northwest Flight No. 105 from Gate 7 with one common-denominator look in their eyes: No fear.
That fearless demeanor is a direct reflection of Ruland.
“Coach Ruland is fearless,” Iona sophomore forward Dyree Wilson said.
“Coach Ruland has a hard-work, never-give-up attitude and that kept us going when we were 6-9,” Young said. “Coach always told us, ‘Tough times don’t last; tough people do.'”
Northwest Airlines Flight No. 105
The team is loose. So loose, in fact, that most of the players slept soundly.
One player who stayed awake for much of the flight was Young. Much of what was on his mind was how much more comfortable he feels this time around as an NCAA participant.
“Two years ago we were definitely in awe of being in the tournament and we were happy to be there,” Young said from about 30,000 feet above middle America. “Two years ago we were excited, but we were like deer in the headlights, wide-eyed and not knowing what to expect.
“We’re not just happy to be here now,” Young went on. “We want to win. Players laugh at Tariq and I when they ask what our goal is and we tell them: Win a national championship.
“But that’s why they play these games. That’s why there’s 64 teams. Look at Gonzaga last year. They came within a possession or two from being in the Final Four. There’s going to be a jump ball [tomorrow] and Maryland puts their uniforms on just like we do.”
The team arrived to the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport at shortly after 4 p.m. Eastern time, gathered its belongings at the baggage claim and boarded a bus for downtown. When the bus arrived at the Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel, Ruland stood up and said, “Please remember, we’re in the Big Dance. Act accordingly.”
Inside the hotel, Kirksay reflected on this moment two years ago.
“I’m going to use my experience from [1998] to get the team to know it’s not as that bad as they think it might be,” Kirksay said. “Two years ago I was nervous, shaking, with everything that was going on. I’m trying to relax and make sure my team is ready. I’m happy to be here, but not satisfied just being here.”
That attitude is a common thread that weaves through the entire team.
